Safety trolley device.



No. 670,855. Patented nar.26, mm]

c. w. DIAMONI J. SAFETY TROLLEY DEVICE.

(Application July 18, 1900-) (III: Model.)

WITNESS.-

,4 TTURII E VII THE. aonms PETER. 00.. 07mm. wuumtimu, D. c.

UNlTED. STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. DIAMOND, OF NEWV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MOISE LEVY,JR., OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY TROLLEY DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,855, dated March26, 1901.

Application filed July 18, 1900.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, CHARLES W. DIAMoND,a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SafetyTrolley Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in overhead-trolley devices forelectrically-propelled vehicles using the overhead -trolley system; andthe object of my invention is to provide means for preventing injury tothe trolley-wire supports by the trolley-arm on the car when the latterleaves the wire during the progress of the vehicle.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by certain means for releasingthe tension on the spring or springs which cause the trolley-arm to bearupwardly, as hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, which shows a side elevation of my improved device forcontrolling the trolley-arm. The full lines in the drawing represent thenormal or substantially normal positions of the various parts that is tosay, the positions they occupy while the trolley-wheel is running alongthe wire. The dotted lines in the drawing indicate the release or safetypositions of the various parts, as Will be hereinafter described.

A represents the trolley-arm,provided with the contact-wheel A whichengages the wire. The base of the trolley-arm A is pivoted at A upon thestandard B, suitably fixed to the top of the car or other vehicle,(indicated by a line.) The trolley-arm is preferably bifurcated at itspivoted end to inclose the top end of the standard B, upon which it ispivoted, and is provided with one or a pair of curved extensions or armsA (only one of which is shown,) and this curved extension or thesecurved extensions A have each a hook or eye a at its lower end forengagement with a coiled spring B which serves as a yielding means forholding the end of the Serial No. 24,088. (No model.)

trolley-arm which carries the wheel upward. Where but one arm orextension A is used, there may be but one spring B but where two of sucharms A are used there would be one spring B connected to either of saidarms. The said spring or springs B are connected to a block C by meansof an eye 0' on either side of the said block. The said block is mountedupon a horizontal arm B, extending rearwardly from the standard B, andthe said block may move freely along the said arm. A link D, pivoted atc to a lug G, extending upwardly from the block C, is pivotallyconnected to another linkiE, the latter being pivoted at b to the fixedlug I), extending upwardly from the arm B. Thus the pivotal point I) ofthe link E remains relatively stationary,while the pivotal point a ofthe link D is relatively movable in a line parallel with the arm B, uponwhich and along which the sliding block 0 may move, according to thepositions of the parts. A short chain or other flexible connection E isconnected at one end, as atf, to the trolley-arm near its pivotal pointA and is connected at its opposite end, as at e, to a lug E on the upperside of the link Enear its point of pivotal connection D with the linkD.

The pivotally-connected ends of the links D and E may move downwardlyslightly out of a straight line, such movement being limited by the armB, with which such ends of the links D and E bear against in thisposition in the nature of a stop therefor, as shown in full lines in thedrawing. When the links D and E are in their extreme downward position,as shown in full lines, the block 0 is forced to its extreme backwardlimit of movement and is held in this position by the said links, thusextending the spring or springs B- and putting such spring or springsunder greatest tension. This greatest tension is the normal tensionnecessary to hold the trolley-wheel A on the wire X. The trolley-arm Ashould have a limited amount of free movement to allow forirregularities in the grade and in the height of the trolley-wire, andtherefore the chain F or other flexible connection used should have someslack under normal conditions to allow this limited swing to thetrolley-arm A.

Should the trolley-wheel A jump the wire X, there will be a consequentsudden upward jerk or pull exerted by the chain F, following themovements of the trolley-arm A upon the pivoted links D and E, and thissudden pull or jerk will be sufficient to throw the pivotally-connectedends of the links D and E upward past their central line. As soon as thepivotal connection D of these links reaches the straight or central lineof the two links the tension on the spring or springs B acting upon thesliding block 0, causes the pivotal point D to move upwardly to allowthe block 0, which is now released, to respond tothe tension of thespring or springs B This upward sliding of the block 0 relieves thetension upon the spring or springs B and consequently relieves the pullupon the arm or arms A tending to hold the trolleyarm A elevated.Consequently the trolleyarm A, which is only held elevated by thetension upon the spring or springs B falls backward upon the lug E onthe link E, which forms a stop therefor, as shown in dotted lines.

- The parts are so proportioned that the forward movement of the block,the consequent upward movement of the pivotal point D of the links D andE, and the tension upon the spring or springs B when the block has movedforward will allow the trolley-arm A to fall backward to such a distancethat the trolleyarm A and the wheel A will be entirely free fromliability to strike the trolley-supports as the car moves along.

The trolley-arm A is caused to return to its elevated or workingposition in the following manner: The conductor at the back of the carpulls down on the rope attached to the trolley-arm, and the latterresting upon the lug E, extending from the upper side of the link E,causes the depression of the pivotal point D of the said links, andafter being thus depressed the links remain in this position untilanother sudden pull is exerted thereon through the chain F.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a safety trolley device, the combination with the trolley-armhaving a fixed pivotal point, and having an extension from its pivotalpoint; and a tension-spring connected to the said extension; of ahorizontal guide; a block movable along said guide, and to which saidtension-spring is connected; a pair of toggle-levers having at one end afixed pivotal point and at their opposite end pivoted to the said block;a stop for limiting the swing of said toggle-levers downward; a flexibleconnection between the tro1leyarm and the said toggle-levers; the saidlevers being arranged to normally lie downward slightly past theircentral line, and in such position maintain a working tension on thesaid spring, but arranged to respond to an excessive pull on saidconnection with the trolley-arm and relieve such tension, substantiallyas described.

2. In a safety trolley device, the combination with the pivotedtrolley-arm having an extension from'its pivotal point; and atension-spring connected to the said extension; of a horizontal guide; ablock movable along said guide, and to which said spring is connected; apair of toggle-levers having at one end a fixed pivotal point and attheir opposite end pivoted to the said block; a stop for arresting thedownward swing of said togglelevers at a point slightly below theircentral line; a flexible connection between the trolley-arm and the saidtoggle-levers; the said levers being arranged while in their extremedownward limit to maintain a working tension on the said spring, butarranged to respond to an excessive upward pull on the trolley-armconnection and relieve such tension, substantially as described.

3. In a safety trolley device, the combination with an upright supportto which the trolley-arm is pivoted; a rigid extension on the saidtrolley-arm; and a horizontal guidearm; of a sliding block mounted onthe said horizontal guide-arm; a tension-spring connected at one end tothe said block and at its opposite end to the said extension on thetrolley-arm; a rigid lug on the said guide-arm; a pair of toggle-leverspivoted respectively to said fixed lug and to the said sliding block,the said arm serving as a downward stop for the said toggle-levers; anda flexible connection between said toggle-levers and the trolley-arm,substantially as described.

4. In a safety trolley device, the combination with the trolley-arm Ahaving extension A the upright standard B to which said trolley-arm ispivoted; and the horizontal arm B extending rearwardly from the said upright B; of the sliding block or collar 0 mounted upon the saidhorizontal arm B; the tension-spring 13 connected to the said slidingblock or collar (3 and to the said extension A on the trolley-arm; therigid lug b extending upwardly from said horizontal arm B; thetoggle-levers D and E pivoted respectively to the said sliding block orcollar 0, and to the said lug b; the chain or other flexible connectionF connected to one of said toggle-levers and to the said trolley-arm,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. DIAMOND.

Witnesses:

FELIX J. DREYFOUS, GEORGE MONTGOMERY.

